Ring-loosener and cap-remover for fruit-jars.



C. H. STEMPEL. RING LOOSENER AND CAP REMOVER FOR FRUIT JARS. APPLICATiONFILED NOV. 30. I914.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

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CARL H. STEMPEL, OF FORT MADISON, IOWA.

RING-LOOSENER AND CAP-REMOVER FOR FRUIT-JARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

Application filed. November 30, 1914; Serial No 874,798.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL H. STEMPEL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Fort Madison, in the county of Lee and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Ring-Looseners andCap-Removers for Fruit-Jars; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates broadly to improve ments in household novelties andmore particularly to a combined fruit cap remover and loosening andremoving device for the ring thereof.

The object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple articlewhich may be easily and inexpensively manufactured and which may beemployed for loosening the ring on the jar, for removing said ring andalso for removing the cap.

With the above object in view, the invention resides in certain novelfeatures of construction and combination herein described and claimedand shown in the drawings wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of theinvention showing the same applied to use; Fig. 2 is a perspective viewof the device; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the ring loosening disk; andFig. 4 is a detail vertical section as seen on the line l4 of Fig. 2.

In these drawings, forming a part of the present application, the deviceis shown as comprising a pair of curved gripping arms 1, each of whichhas one of its ends extended longitudinally and downwardly as seen at 2,the lower ends of these downwardly bent portions being then bentinwardly at 3, while their intermediate portions are embraced by a splitsleeve 4, whereby the two arms 1 are pivotally connected. The other endof each arm 1, is extended longitudinally outward to provide the uppersection 5 of a handle, the outer ends of these sections 5 being bentdownwardly and inwardly to provide other sections 6 which lie directlybeneath said sections 5, whereby the size of the handle is increased.

One of the sections 6 is bent laterally, as seen at 7, beneath one ofthe arms 1 and then downwardly to provide an upright stub shaft 8. Thelower end of this stub shaft 8 is provided with an annular groove 9 inwhich a split ring 10 is removably seated, this ring preventing thedislocation of a flat circular ring loosening and removing disk 11, thelatter being revolubly mounted on the upper end of the stub shaft 8 andbeing equipped with a U-shaped hub 12, whose cross bar is provided withan opening which receives the lower end of the stub shaft.

As most clearly seen in Fig. 4, the hub 12 is formed of a single sheetof metal and is provided with a pair of attaching ears 13 on the ends ofits arms, said ears being passed through openings in the disk 11 andbeing then clenched as shown.

In applying the device to use, the two arms 1 embrace the cap C of afruit jar J and the disk 11 runs beneath the packing ring R which isinterposed between the cap C and the jar J. The device may now berotated by its handles, thereby loosening the ring R. During thismovement, it will be understood that the arms 1 act as means for guidingthe movement of the disk 11. lVhen the ring is thoroughly loosened, thecap is gripped between the two arms 1, by moving the handles inwardlytoward each other, upon which rotation of the device will readily removethe cap. As the cap is now unscrewed, the disk 11 will remain beneaththe ring R, thereby causing the latter to be simultaneously removed.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be seen that a very simple device has been providedfor carrying out the objects of the invention, yet that efficiency ofthe article will not be impaired by such simplicity.

Although I have shown and described certain details of construction,specific of my invention, yet various changes in form and proportion maybe resorted to Without departing from the spirit of my invention. I donot, therefore, wish to be limited to the exact construction illustratedin the drawings, other than is set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A device of the class described comprising a pair of curved cap grippingmembers pivotally connected together at one of their ends and havingcoacting handles at their other ends, a laterally extending arm providedon the inner end of one of said handies, the free end of said armcarrying a downwardly projecting stub shaft having an annular groove atits lower end, and a ring loosening member revolubly mounted on saidstub shaft, said member comprising a flat circular disk having anopening through its center, a Ushaped hub secured at its ends to saiddisk, said hub having its cross bar disposed below said disk andprovided with an opening in alinement with the opening in said disk,whereby to provide for the aforesaid mounting on said stub shaft, and aresilient split ring sprung in the groove on the lower end of said stubshaft, whereby to hold the ring loosening disk thereon.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

CARL H. STEMPEL. Witnesses ANDY A. MARTIN, GEO. WECLINGTON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

